Good exhibits on HBO are plentiful — even nice ones aren’t laborious to return by. The platform has earned its status TV distinction, and its streaming service has the luxurious of housing traditional favorites like Pals alongside more moderen Emmy-winning masterpieces like Succession and The White Lotus. There’s a variety of wonderful content material to select from: Here is our checklist of the very best exhibits on HBO Max that will help you get began.
For extra suggestions, try our checklist of the very best films on HBO, the very best drama films on HBO, and the very best horror films on HBO.
Editor’s Notice: This text was up to date December twenty ninth to incorporate The Knick.
The Knick
Rotten Tomatoes: 92% | IMDb: 8.5/10
The Knick
- Launch Date
- August 8, 2014
- Genres
- Drama
A Cinemax interval piece, The Knick tells the story of the employees at New York’s Knickerbocker Hospital within the early 1900s. The conflicts these characters face embody an absence of hospital funding, racial tensions, and nearly medieval medical strategies. Created by Jack Amiel (The Prince and Me) and Michael Begler (Elevating Helen), the present starred André Holland (Moonlight), Clive Owen (Youngsters of Males), Jeremy Bobb (Russian Doll), Juliet Rylance (Sinister), Eve Hewson (Robin Hood), Michael Angarano (Wild Card), Cara Seymour (American Psycho), and Eric Johnson (Vikings).
Owen’s character, Dr. John Thackery, was partially impressed by William Stewart Halsted, a historic determine identified for being an early believer in anesthetics. In The Knick, Dr. Thackery offers with a cocaine and opium habit whereas trying to decide on his ambition in the direction of his profession over his illness. The present was a favourite amongst audiences and critics, operating for 3 seasons and ending in 2015. – Emily Cappello
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Curb Your Enthusiasm
Rotten Tomatoes: 92% | IMDb: 8.8/10
Curb Your Enthusiasm
The life and occasions of Larry David and the predicaments he will get himself into along with his associates and full strangers.
- Launch Date
- October 15, 2000
- Genres
- Comedy
Since its premiere in October of 2000, Curb Your Enthusiasm has taken the comedy world by storm. Created by and starring Larry David, the present follows a fictionalized model of David as he goes by the world along with his associates and people he has but to satisfy. The collection additionally stars Jeff Garlin (Security Not Assured), Cheryl Hines (The Ugly Fact), Susie Essman (Cop Out), and J.B. Smoove (Spider-Man: Far From Residence). Different star-studded appearances embody Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld), Vince Vaughn (The Internship), Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld), Lou DiMaggio (NCIS), Ben Stiller (Tropic Thunder), and Mel Brooks (Spaceballs), simply to call a couple of.
Specializing in the little issues that occur in on a regular basis life, Curb Your Enthusiasm is printed by David and largely improvised throughout filming. The present has been nominated for 47 Emmy Awards, most notably its Excellent Comedy Collection nominations for 10 out of its 12 seasons. Whereas the present did not air from 2012 to 2016, it returned in 2017 for its ninth season and was renewed for a twelfth and closing season that is airing in February of 2024. – Emily Cappello
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Boardwalk Empire
Rotten Tomatoes: 92% | IMDb: 8.6/10
Boardwalk Empire
- Launch Date
- September 19, 2010
- Genres
- Drama , Household
Starring Steve Buscemi (Fargo) in one in all his greatest roles ever, Boardwalk Empire tells the story of Nucky Thompson (Buscemi), a treasurer in Atlantic Metropolis, New Jersey, who works each side of the legislation throughout the Twenties Prohibition period. Working for the town, Nucky has relationships with the mob in addition to politicians, so he is ready to manipulate others as a way to sustain his lavish way of life.
Created by Terence Winter (The Sopranos), Boardwalk Empire is an hour-long drama that ran for 5 seasons on HBO and was a crucial success. The present additionally stars Kelly Macdonald (No Nation For Previous Males), Michael Shannon (Take Shelter), Shea Whighman (Splinter), Stephen Graham (Boiling Level), Vincent Piazza (Jersey Boys), Michael Kenneth Williams (The Wire), and Paul Sparks (Home of Playing cards). With loads of blurred ethical strains and compelling characters, the present drew audiences in for its complexity and depiction of an advanced time in historical past. – Emily Cappello
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Lovecraft County
Rotten Tomatoes: 88% | IMDb: 7.1/10
Created by Misha Inexperienced and based mostly on the 2016 novel of the identical identify by Matt Ruff, Lovecraft Nation is ready within the Nineteen Fifties and follows Atticus “Tic” Freeman (Jonathan Majors), a younger African-American man and avid sci-fi fan. After receiving a letter from his lacking father, Montrose (Michael Ok. Williams), Tic, alongside along with his uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) and pal Letitia “Leti” Lewis (Jurnee Smollett), embarks on a highway journey to seek out him. As they journey throughout the racially segregated United States, encountering each overt and supernatural racism, the group discovers that Lovecraftian horrors from the world of H.P. Lovecraft’s fiction usually are not the one threats they face.
Despite the fact that HBO canceled the present after only one season, Lovecraft Nation stands as an ideal instance of what might be completed when one embraces the limitless potential that comes with variety. It isn’t solely a grand, fantastical, and pulpy horror collection, however at each second, it stays rooted in recognizable experiences and real feelings. Moreover, Majors delivers an impressive efficiency, seamlessly mixing statuesque physicality with an emotive and expressive face. His portrayal provides depth to a task that would simply veer into cartoonish fantasy. – Jessie Nguyen
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Scenes from a Marriage
Rotten Tomatoes: 83% | IMDb: 8.1/10
Scenes From a Marriage
- Launch Date
- September 12, 2021
- Genres
- Drama
- Seasons
- 1
Scenes from a Marriage is a miniseries that initially aired in 1973 on Swedish tv and gained worldwide approval for its insightful exploration of the complexities of marital relationships. In 2021, an English-language adaptation of the identical identify was launched on HBO starring Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac. The collection follows the evolving relationship between Jonathan and Mira over a number of years, with the narrative divided into 5 episodes, every depicting essential moments of their marriage.
Whereas the 2021 model of Scenes From a Marriage is likely to be seen as an pointless remake, the stellar performances of Chastain and Isaac elevate it to a degree the place it feels indispensable. The success of the present hinges on the distinctive chemistry and masterful performances of the main couple, who flawlessly ship poignant and charged dialogue as the wedding begins to unravel. Whereas this is not a novel theme to delve into, the collection stays an clever and insightful examination of recent relationships. With potent dialogue and meticulously crafted characters, it stands as a compelling rival to Marriage Story by way of uncooked emotive energy and evokes shades of Nearer for its painful, unstated truths. – Jessie Nguyen
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Six Toes Underneath
Rotten Tomatoes: 81% | IMDb: 8.7/10
Created by Alan Ball, Six Toes Underneath revolves across the Fisher household, who owns and operates Fisher & Sons Funeral Residence in Los Angeles. The patriarch of the household, Nathaniel Fisher Sr. (Richard Jenkins), dies in a tragic accident, and his demise units the stage for the unfolding narrative. Every episode sometimes begins with a demise, typically unrelated to the Fisher household, and explores the influence of mortality on the characters’ lives.
Six Toes Underneath boasts quite a few commendable points, akin to excellent performances, skillful course, and ingenious storytelling that comes with numerous strategies, together with dream sequences and parody commercials. The characters within the present expertise substantial progress and confront genuine challenges, rendering them relatable and charming. Moreover, regardless of the seemingly somber material, the present successfully engenders a way of inclusivity, enveloping viewers in a common narrative and feelings as they navigate grief and life after the lack of family members. Six Toes Underneath additionally promptly establishes its comprehension of loss by depicting the distinct preliminary reactions of every member of the family. Moreover, what’s outstanding about Six Toes Underneath is how the viewers’s notion of it could possibly shift relying on their life stage. – Jessie Nguyen
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Chernobyl
Rotten Tomatoes: 95% | IMDb: 9.3/10
Chernobyl
- Launch Date
- 2019-05-00
- Ranking
- TV-MA
- Seasons
- 1
Jessie Buckley (Ladies Speaking) and Jared Harris (Basis) star in Chernobyl, a dramatic miniseries based mostly on the horrific explosion of a nuclear energy plant in 1986 within the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Chernobyl is a charming historic drama created by Craig Mazin (The Final of Us) revolving across the catastrophe and clean-up effort, shining a lightweight on a disaster that occurred not too way back. Praised for delicate authenticity, Chornobyl dealt with the story of one of many world’s worst man-made accidents with care by specializing in each the humanity and actuality of the state of affairs. “Chernobyl is a collection the place you’ll have to remind your self to unclench your jaw and un-tense your shoulders whereas watching it,” says critic Allison Keene. “It’s heartbreaking and intense…nevertheless it’s additionally vital.” – Yael Tygiel
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Telemarketers
Rotten Tomatoes: 96% | IMDb: 7.4/10
Telemarketers
- Launch Date
- 2023-00-00
- Predominant Style
- Documentary
An unexpectedly charming true crime documentary collection, Telemarketers is a three-part comedic reveal of two unlikely heroes, Adam Bhala Lough and Sam Lipman-Stern, who spent 20 years documenting shady scams behind the telemarketing business. Telemarketers is produced by Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie, and Danny McBride, together with Lough and Lipman-Stern, whose journey begins with frivolous employment, main them to develop into investigative whistleblowers. All through the weird story, Telemarketers shares the really wild, darkish realities of capitalism, leading to a bizarre merger of McMillions and Tiger King — particularly with using private footage from the celebrities’ office. – Yael Tygiel
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Journey Time: Fionna and Cake
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 8.9/10
Spinning off from the long-running animated collection Journey Time, Journey Time: Fionna and Cake brings an alternate universe model of the unique primary characters to the display screen for an thrilling and vivid new collection that additional uncovers the wealthy Journey Time mythology. Co-starring Madeleine Martin because the voice of Fionna and Roz Ryan voicing Cake, Journey Time: Fionna and Cake is ten episodes of colourful shenanigans assisted by former Ice King Simon Petrikov (Tom Kenny). Whereas Journey Time: Fionna and Cake focuses on Fionna’s journey of self-discovery, the collection additionally playfully welcomes beloved characters like Marceline the Vampire Queen and Princess Bubblegum, amongst others. – Yael Tygiel
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Profitable Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty
Rotten Tomatoes: 83% | IMDb: 8.3/10
Profitable Time
- Launch Date
- 2022-00-00
- Creator
- Max Borenstein, Jim Hecht
Impressed by a e book about Magic Johnson and the LA Lakers, Profitable Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty is a fictional interpretation of occasions going down on the earth of basketball in Los Angeles throughout the early Nineteen Eighties. Co-created by Max Borenstein and Jim Hecht, Profitable Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty stars John C. Reilly as Jerry Buss, proprietor of the Lakers, with Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson. Though garnering criticism for inaccuracies, Profitable Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty is ready to entertain and supply context for a pivotal second in NBA historical past. – Yael Tygiel
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A Black Woman Sketch Present
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 7.5/10
A Black Woman Sketch Present
- Launch Date
- August 2, 2019
- Genres
- Comedy
- Forged
- Robin Thede , Gabrielle Dennis , Ashley Nicole Black , Skye Townsend
- Predominant Style
- Comedy
- Seasons
- 4
Comic and actress Robin Thede (The Queen Latifah Present) has gathered a few of the funniest Black girls in present enterprise to create a hilarious sketch present that’s unabashedly for the tradition. The present is great at lampooning the distinctive expertise of being a Black girl in America whereas appearing out gut-busting conditions that everybody can take pleasure in. The humor is the right mixture of absurd, witty, and thought-provoking that’s solely enhanced by a few of the greatest wig and costume work within the enterprise. Plus, the present has a plethora of visitor stars like Nicole Byer (Grand Crew), Laverne Cox (Orange Is the New Black), and Loretta Devine (Gray’s Anatomy) that deliver their very own taste to an already spicy comedy present. – Tauri Miller
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Pushing Daisies
Rotten Tomatoes: 96% | IMDb: 8.4/10
pushing daisies
- Launch Date
- October 3, 2007
- Genres
- Comedy , Crime , Drama , Fantasy , Thriller , Romance
- Predominant Style
- Comedy
- Seasons
- 2
Created by Bryan Fuller (Star Trek: Discovery), Pushing Daisies is a whimsical fantasy crime comedy a couple of humble pie maker who makes use of his capacity to briefly deliver the lifeless again to life to assist resolve homicide instances. Lee Tempo (Halt and Catch Fireplace) stars because the magical pie maker alongside Anna Friel (Limitless) as his previously lifeless beloved, whom he can by no means contact lest she drops lifeless on the spot. The present has the aesthetic and narrative type of a fairytale — each body is steeped in vibrant colours, and the costuming has a distinctly retro vibe that makes the present really feel timeless. This extremely acclaimed collection is a lightweight and bouncy watch that everybody ought to take pleasure in at the very least as soon as.
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Someone Someplace
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 8.1/10
Someone Someplace
- Launch Date
- 2022-00-00
- Genres
- Comedy , Drama
- Creator
- Hannah Bos, Paul Thureen
Someone Someplace is a semi-autobiographical drama impressed by the actual lifetime of actress, singer, and comic Bridget Everett, who takes on the lead function. Everett performs Sam, a midwestern girl who strikes again to Manhattan, Kansas, to maintain her sister shortly earlier than she passes away. The present is an excellent depiction of the methods grief can strip us of who we’re and is an uplifting story concerning the journey of getting by to the opposite aspect. And that’s simply season one. Now that the second season has been launched, audiences get to spend extra time with these quirky hometown characters, who really feel as actual as your very personal neighbors, as Sam slowly finds group.
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Succession
Rotten Tomatoes: 95% | IMDb: 8.9/10
Succession
- Launch Date
- June 3, 2018
- Genres
- Drama , Comedy
- Predominant Style
- Drama
- Seasons
- 4
- Creator
- Jesse Armstrong
Each single character on Succession is a five-alarm trash manufacturing unit in their very own distinctive means and you’ll come to like them like your personal household. Jesse Armstrong’s one-percenter darkish comedy follows the uber-rich Roy household and their enterprise empire Waystar Royco. When patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox, wielding the phrase “fuck off” like a baseball bat) falls ailing, numerous vultures begin to circle, together with Logan’s scheming kids Kendall (Jeremy Sturdy), Shiv (Sarah Snook), and Roman (Kieran Culkin). After a (actually) shaky first episode, this present blasts off and by no means seems again, morphing right into a backstab-filled delight that’s produced extra quotable strains than most straight comedies. All the forged is subsequent stage. The writing is sharp sufficient to attract blood. Nicholas Braun is at the very least 9 toes tall. Out of all of the originals to hit HBO in the previous couple of years, Succession is likely one of the greatest. Critic Samantha Coley raved concerning the present’s closing season, saying that it tells “a extra cohesive story than ever earlier than, with all of the threads weaving collectively fairly properly. The result’s a season that’s much more partaking than its predecessors, leaving you hanging on each phrase of snappy dialogue.” – Vinnie Mancuso
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Barry
Rotten Tomatoes: 98% | IMDb: 8.4/10
Barry
- Launch Date
- March 25, 2018
- Genres
- Comedy , Drama , Motion
- Predominant Style
- Drama
- Seasons
- 4
- Creator
- Alec Berg, Invoice Hader
It is a premise that is simply so ludicrous that it might nearly be an SNL sketch in and of itself — however Invoice Hader’s half-hour scripted collection manages to be part-comedy, part-drama, part-action thriller with out shedding grip on any of its spectacular substances. The comic and actor stars as Barry Berkman, a profitable (one may say nearly too profitable) hitman who does not notice that his coronary heart really lies on the stage — however turning into an actor is not as straightforward because it sounds, and never simply because the audition circuit might be brutal. Barry has to not solely deal with the individuals in his on a regular basis life, like his girlfriend Sally (Goldberg) and his appearing instructor Gene Cousineau (Winkler), however he is additionally dealing with off with the persevering with felony ingredient he cannot shake, from his affiliate Fuches (Root) to aspiring mafia lead NoHo Hank (Carrigan). In Season 2, which guarantees to be much more of a thrill experience than earlier than, Barry’s life continues to unspool as threats from his previous begin to be unearthed. Possibly regular is only a pipe dream in spite of everything while you’re employed to kill individuals for a residing. “Barry by no means stopped including layers to its sitcom-y ‘hitman needs to modify jobs and develop into an actor’ premise,” mentioned critic Robert Brian Taylor in his assessment of the ultimate season. “It piled on sufficient thrills to compete with the greatest crime dramas TV has to supply and nonetheless discovered time to totally look at the human situation.” – Carly Lane
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Gentleman Jack
Rotten Tomatoes: 92% | IMDb: 8.2/10
Gentleman Jack
- Launch Date
- 2019-00-00
- Genres
- Historic , Drama
- Forged
- Sophie Rundle
- Creator
- Sally Wainwright
Primarily based on the real-life journals of Anne Lister, the HBO collection Gentleman Jack follows the struggles, misadventures, and triumphs of a fictionalized model of the lady (Suranne Jones) as she strives to maintain her household’s property in Halifax often known as Shibden Corridor (the place the present really filmed for its first and upcoming second season). Lister, who was considered considerably peculiar in life, lived semi-openly as a lesbian and pursued romantic relationships with many ladies in her lifetime, however Gentleman Jack picks up proper earlier than she meets the lady who would develop into her spouse in all however beneath the legislation, Ann Walker (Rundle). Their highway to like is rocky and tumultuous however finally triumphant, and Season 2 picks up with the 2 of them making an attempt to regulate to the circumstances of their new relationship — as Anne additionally makes makes an attempt to win over Ann’s disapproving household and assist her spouse assert herself and her wants. Plus, the moments when the collection breaks the fourth wall are as pleasant as they’re highly effective. – Carly Lane
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Our Flag Means Demise
Rotten Tomatoes: 94% | IMDb: 7.8/10
With Our Flag Means Demise, pirates have formally develop into cool once more — however perhaps not in the best way anybody might have predicted. It isn’t fully correct to say that this collection is “What We Do within the Shadows, solely pirates,” however having Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi on-screen collectively once more is all the time going to be a mixture that produces comedic treasure. What differentiates this present from something they’ve performed collectively earlier than, nevertheless, is not simply an avoidance of the mockumentary format; it is a office comedy, set on a ship with a crew that thinks they’ll be the very best plunderers on the open sea, led by a completely inane captain in Stede Bonnet (Darby) — who, coincidentally, was based mostly on an actual pirate from historical past. When Bonnet inevitably crosses paths with the notorious Blackbeard (Waititi, rocking the hell out of a leather-based jacket and epic facial hair), the 2 notice that theirs may really be a dynamic of friendship slightly than foes from the bounce. – Carly Lane
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Perry Mason
Rotten Tomatoes: 79% | IMDb: 7.6/10
perry mason
- Launch Date
- June 21, 2020
- Genres
- Crime , Comedy , Drama
- Predominant Style
- Crime
- Seasons
- 1
An origin story, Perry Mason stars Matthew Rhys (Cocaine Bear) within the titular function of the long-lasting protection legal professional. Focusing not solely on Mason’s struggles as an indigent and melancholy man, the crime drama collection additionally shrewdly emphasizes the inequalities of affluent Los Angeles throughout the USA’ restoration from the Nice Despair. Created by Rolin Jones and Ron Fitzgerald, the prequel collection explores a captivating time interval whereas revealing the lifetime of the well-known lawyer throughout his time as a non-public investigator. Co-starring Juliet Rylance and Shea Whigham, in addition to that includes Tatiana Maslany (She-Hulk: Lawyer at Regulation) and John Lithgow, Perry Mason is an exhilarating thriller. – Yael Tygiel
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Rain Canines
Rotten Tomatoes: 93% | IMDb: 7.0/10
Rain Canines
- Launch Date
- March 6, 2023
- Genres
- Drama , Comedy
- Forged
- Daisy Could Cooper , Jack Farthing , Ronke Adekoluejo , Fleur Tashijan
- Predominant Style
- Drama
- Seasons
- 1
Created by Money Carraway, Rain Canines is a touching darkish comedy collection from the UK. Rain Canines follows a blunt-mannered but devoted single mom, performed charmingly by Daisy Could Cooper, who — along with her mood-swinging adolescent daughter (Fleur Tashjian) — is simply struggling to make ends meet. Together with the mother-daughter duo are their associates and supporters, Selby (Jack Farthing) and Gloria (Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo). Collectively, this unconventional household fights for one another, bringing pleasure and happiness to their dysfunctional lives. With a transferring message and absurdly relatable circumstances, Rain Canines is an distinctive delight. – Yael Tygiel
Watch on HBO